Latch for separable members



g- 25, 1964 R. E. SEEVERS 3,146,011

LATCH FOR SEPARABLE MEMBERS Filed Jan. 12, 1961 [N VENTOZ? RA YM ND SEE 1/ Rs United States Patent 3,146,011 LATCH FOR SEPARABLE MEMBERS Raymond E. Seevers, North East, Pa., assignmto The Electric Materials Co., North East, 1921., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Jan. 12, 1961, Ser. No. 82,247 2 Claims. (Cl. 292247) This invention relates to latches and, more particularly, to latches suitable for use on marine craft and other machines where it is desirable to have two members which may be angularly related to each other in various movements connected by a latch which are adapted to be rigidly locked together at any of a plurality of angles.

Previous latches were not constructed in such a manner that the two mating portions could be rigidly locked together at any of a plurality of angles to each other and yet be clamped together in positive rigid relation in any such angle.

It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to provide an improved latch.

Another object of the invention is tr provide a latch having two parts which can be selectively locked in a plurality of angular relations to each other and the latch parts will be rigidly connected in any of these positions.

A further object of the invention is to provide a latch which is simple in construction, economical to manufacture, and simple and efficient to use.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consists of the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the form, size, proportions, and minor details of construction without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side view of an assembly of a latch accord-- ing to the invention;

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the latch body; and

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the latch catch.

Now with more particular reference to the drawing, a latch is shown made up of a body having a plate like part 11 and a boss 19 integral therewith and having a shackle 14 integrally connected thereto by means of a handle 12. The handle 12 is swingably attached to the latch body in the slot in the boss 19 by means of a pin 17. The handle 12 freely swings in a slot 20 which receives one end of the handle 12. The pin 17' extends through slots 22 in the square bosses on the end of the shackle 14 and through a hole in the handle 12 and, therefore, swingably connects the shackle 14 to the handle 12.

The shackle 14 is U-shaped and generally round in cross section and has enlarged ends 23. The enlarged ends 23 have tapped holes in their outer portions thereof which receive threaded screws 18. The inside ends of the screws 18 rest against the pin 17 and can be adjusted to compensate for any wear of the pin 17 or any other parts.

The bottom part of the plate like part 11 of the latch is flat and has screw holes 24 formed therein for receiving screws for attaching the body to a member to be latched to another member. The holes 24 may be suitably countersunk.

The boss 19 has an arcuate surface 25 which conforms to the outside of a cylinder. The arcuate surface 25 may receive a generally cylindrical outer peripheral surface 26 of a hook 27 of a catch 15. The hook 27 is integrally attached to the catch 15 and it curves around at its end and is spaced at 28 from a flat surface 29 of the catch.

The catch 15 is generally plate shaped as indicated and ice it has countersunk holes 30 therein which may receive suitable screws for attaching the device to one of a pair of members to be latched together. The bottom side of the catch at 31 is flat as shown.

The latch body as well as the catch may be made of brass or other suitable material and it can be polished and plated to give a pleasing appearance for use on boats and the like. The screw 18 can be adjusted to change the clearance between the pin 17 and the screw to cause the device to clamp more rigidly. The shackle 14 moves to a position below the center of the pin 17 so that the device is self-locking.

The foregoing specification sets forth the invention in its preferred practical forms but the structure shown is capable of modification within a range of equivalents without departing from the invention which is to be understood is broadly novel as is commensurate with the appended claims.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A latch adapted to selectively connect two members at any of a plurality of angulated displaced positions comprising a body having a flat portion suitable to be attached to a member to be latched, an upwardly extending boss thereon, a slot in said boss, a handle, said handle having one end received in said slot and being swingably connected thereto, a U-shaped shackle, said U-shaped shackle terminating in ends, said ends having a hole therein in alignment with a hole in said handle spaced from the connection thereof to said boss, a pin swingably connecting said shackle to said handle, a surface on one side of said boss shaped to conform to the outer periphery of a cylinder, and a catch, said catch having a flat portion adapted to be attached to a member to be latched and a hook integrally connected thereto, said hook having an outside surface conforming to the cylinder of radius equal to the radius of the cylinder defining said surface on said boss, and an inside cylindrical surface on said hook generally concentric to said outside surface, said shackle being adapted to engage said hook and to move said hook into frictional engagement with said boss surface whereby said catch may be latched to said body in any of a plurality of positions relative to said body with said hook engaging said cylindrical surface on said boss, said shackle moving to a position below said pin connecting said handle to said boss, the center of curvature of said surface on said boss, the center of curvature of said outside surface on said hook, and the center of curvature of said inside cylindrical surface on said hook being generally coextensive.

2. The latch recited in claim 1 wherein said body has a generally flat plate like member having said boss extending upwardly therefrom and said catch has a fiat, generally plate like member having said hook extending upwardly therefrom, the end of said catch plate like member having one end complementary in shape to the adjacent end of said body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 830,182 Skov Sept. 4, 1906 913,748 Mefford Mar. 2, 1909 1,190,587 Roda July 11, 1916 1,526,188 Stone et al Feb. 10, 1925 2,472,285 Claud-Mantle June 7, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 481,883 Great Britain Mar. 18, 1938 549,989 France Dec. 2, 1922 

1. A LATCH ADAPTED TO SELECTIVELY CONNECT TWO MEMBERS AT ANY OF A PLURALITY OF ANGULATED DISPLACED POSITIONS COMPRISING A BODY HAVING A FLAT PORTION SUITABLE TO BE ATTACHED TO A MEMBER TO BE LATCHED, AN UPWARDLY EXTENDING BOSS THEREON, A SLOT IN SAID BOSS, A HANDLE, SAID HANDLE HAVING ONE END RECEIVED IN SAID SLOT AND BEING SWINGABLY CONNECTED THERETO, A U-SHAPED SHACKLE, SAID U-SHAPED SHACKLE TERMINATING IN ENDS, SAID ENDS HAVING A HOLE THEREIN IN ALIGNMENT WITH A HOLE IN SAID HANDLE SPACED FROM THE CONNECTION THEREOF TO SAID BOSS, A PIN SWINGABLY CONNECTING SAID SHACKLE TO SAID HANDLE, A SURFACE ON ONE SIDE OF SAID BOSS SHAPED TO CONFORM TO THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF CYLINDER, AND A CATCH, SAID CATCH HAVING A FLAT PORTION ADAPTED TO BE ATTACHED TO A MEMBER TO BE LATCHED AND A HOOK INTEGRALLY CONNECTED THERETO, SAID HOOK HAVING AN OUTSIDE SUR- 